purple
purple — 形容詞
1. having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flow
紫色的
深紅藍色的
having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flowers or evening skies.
Lien wore a beautiful purple scarf that matched the evening sky.
Lien 戴了一條美麗的紫色圍巾，與傍晚的天空相襯。
The children painted their bedroom walls a bright shade of purple.
孩子們把自己的臥室牆壁漆成了明亮的紫色。
A thick purple carpet covered the floor of the old library.
舊圖書館的地板上鋪著一張厚實的紫色地毯。
Baraka chose a purple tie to go with his grey suit.
Baraka 選了一條紫色領帶來搭配他的灰色西裝。
The sunset turned the clouds a deep shade of purple.
夕陽把雲朵染成了深紫色。
2. having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showin
氣得發紫的
因憤怒而臉色發紅發紫的
having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showing.
Sumin's face turned purple with rage when she saw the broken window.
Sumin 看到破掉的窗戶時，氣得臉都發紫了。
pattern: purple with rage / fury
The coach went purple as he shouted at the referee's decision.
教練對著裁判的判決大吼，臉色變得發紫。
collocation: go/turn purple
Rohan was purple in the face after the argument with his brother.
Rohan 和弟弟吵完架後，氣得滿臉通紅發紫。
Tamar's father turned purple with fury when he heard the news.
Tamar 的父親聽到消息後氣得滿臉通紅發紫。
Quinn went purple with anger but managed to stay silent.
Quinn 氣得臉色發紫，但他還是忍住了沒有說話。
- red-faced
less intense; can describe embarrassment or exertion, not only anger
- apoplectic
formal, describes a state of extreme fury, often with physical symptoms
文法句型
purple with [emotion]
turn/go purple
用法筆記
This sense nearly always appears with a prepositional phrase indicating the cause of anger, most commonly 'purple with rage/fury' or 'purple in the face'.
常見錯誤
3. describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, goo
順遂連連的
處於成功或好運階段的
describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, good luck, or excellent performance.
The team has hit a purple patch and won their last six matches.
這支球隊進入了順遂期，已經連贏六場比賽。
idiom: [hit/be in] a purple patch
Henrik is enjoying a purple period in his career right now.
Henrik 的職場生涯目前正處於順遂連連的階段。
The bakery went through a purple patch after the newspaper review came out.
這家麵包店在報紙食評刊登後，業績一路長紅。
Defne's purple patch as a musician lasted nearly three years.
Defne 作為音樂家的順遂時期持續將近三年。
Every artist hopes for a purple period when the ideas flow easily.
每個藝術家都期望有一段靈感源源不絕的順遂時期。
- golden age
longer-lasting and more sweeping than a purple patch, which is usually temporary
- hot streak
informal, used especially in sports and gambling contexts
- slump
a period of poor performance or bad luck
文法句型
purple patch
purple period
用法筆記
Most common in British English in the set phrase 'a purple patch'. 'Purple period' is less frequent and slightly more formal. The expression comes from sports commentary, where a player or team is said to be on a scoring streak.
4. relating to a written style that uses very elaborate, showy language in a way th
文風浮誇的
過度修飾而顯得不自然的文風
relating to a written style that uses very elaborate, showy language in a way that feels unnatural or overly decorative.
The editor told the young writer to avoid purple prose and keep the language simple.
編輯建議那位年輕作家避免浮誇的文風，保持語言簡潔。
fixed phrase: purple prose
His novel was criticized for its purple passages that distracted from the story.
他的小說因為充斥浮誇的段落而受到批評，這些段落干擾了故事情節。
collocation: purple passage
Lien's poetry uses vivid images but never falls into purple language.
Lien 的詩歌意象鮮明，但從不落入浮誇的語言風格。
The journalist's purple style made the news article sound like a dramatic novel.
那位記者浮誇的文風讓新聞報導聽起來像一部戲劇小說。
用法筆記
Almost always found in the fixed collocations 'purple prose' or 'purple passage'. Unlike 'purple patch' (positive), 'purple prose' is a critical term — it describes writing that is trying too hard to impress.
常見錯誤
5. describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republic
搖擺州的
兩黨支持率接近的政治州份
describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republican and the Democratic parties, making election results uncertain.
Ohio is a purple state because its voters split roughly between the two parties.
俄亥俄州是紫色州，因為選民大致平均分布在兩黨之間。
collocation: purple state
Candidates spend more time campaigning in purple states than in reliable red or blue ones.
候選人在紫色州的競選時間比在紅州或藍州更長。
The map showed several purple states where the race was too close to call.
地圖上顯示了幾個紫色州，這些州的選情難以預測。
Demographers predict that Texas may become a purple state within the next decade.
人口統計學家預測德州可能在未來十年內成為紫色州。
- swing state
the more common term; 'purple state' is used conversationally while 'swing state' is used in both casual and analytical contexts
- battleground state
emphasises the intense competition between parties in that state
- safe state
a state where one party reliably wins by a large margin
- red state
a state where Republicans reliably win
- blue state
a state where Democrats reliably win
用法筆記
Derives from US election maps where Republican-leaning states are coloured red and Democratic-leaning states blue. A 'purple state' is a mixture of both. This sense is not used outside US political contexts.
6. relating to a king, queen, emperor, or the highest level of society; fit for a r
帝王；王室
屬於或適合最高統治者的
relating to a king, queen, emperor, or the highest level of society; fit for a ruler.
The guests were seated in purple chairs that had once belonged to the emperor.
賓客們坐在曾經屬於皇帝的紫色椅子上。
The royal family wore purple robes during the coronation ceremony.
王室家族在加冕典禮上穿著紫色長袍。
collocation: purple robe
Purple dye was so costly in ancient times that only wealthy rulers could wear it.
在遠古時期，紫色染料非常昂貴，只有有權勢的統治者才能穿戴。
The queen's purple cloak was embroidered with golden thread.
女王的紫色披風上繡著金色的絲線。
用法筆記
This sense draws on the historical association of purple dye with royalty. In ancient Rome and Byzantium, only the emperor was permitted to wear Tyrian purple. The noun phrase 'born in/to the purple' also preserves this meaning.
purple — 名詞
1. a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue, such as the colour of certain f
紫色
深紅藍色
a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue, such as the colour of certain flowers, grapes, and the evening sky.
Mateo painted his bedroom in shades of purple and grey.
Mateo 用深淺不同的紫色和灰色粉刷他的臥室。
Purple is a colour that many people associate with creativity and mystery.
紫色是一種許多人聯想到創意和神秘的顏色。
The walls were a rich purple that gave the room a warm, cosy feeling.
牆壁是濃郁的紫色，為房間帶來了溫暖舒適的感覺。
Priya mixed red and blue paint together to make a bright purple.
Priya 把紅色和藍色顏料混合在一起，調出了鮮豔的紫色。
Élise decorated the wedding hall with purple and white flowers.
Élise 用紫色和白色的鮮花裝飾了婚宴會場。
- violet
a lighter, more blue-toned purple found in the colour spectrum
2. the rank, position, or status of a member of a royal or imperial family, especia
王位；王室
皇室或帝王的身分地位
the rank, position, or status of a member of a royal or imperial family, especially someone born into it.
The princess was born to the purple and raised in the palace.
公主出身王室，在皇宮中長大。
idiom: born to the purple
In ancient times, only those born in the purple could inherit the throne.
在古代，只有出身帝王之家的後代才能繼承王位。
The emperor's daughter was married to a foreign king as a symbol of the purple.
皇帝的女兒嫁給了外國國王，象徵王室權力。
Scholars debate whether being born to the purple was more important than ability.
學者們爭論出身帝王之家是否比能力更重要。
- royalty
a broader term that includes all members of a royal family, not just the rank itself
- sovereignty
focuses on supreme power or authority rather than hereditary status
- commoner
a person who is not a member of the nobility or royal family
文法句型
born to the purple
born in the purple
用法筆記
This sense survives primarily in the fixed phrases 'born to the purple' and 'born in the purple', which refer to a person born into a ruling royal family. 'Born in the purple' historically meant the child of a reigning Byzantine emperor.
purple — 動詞
1. to become or cause something to become purple in colour, especially through cold
變紫；染紫
變成或使變成紫色的
to become or cause something to become purple in colour, especially through cold, bruising, or the application of dye.
Her fingers began to purple in the freezing winter air.
在寒冷的冬日空氣中，她的手指開始凍得發紫。
intransitive: body part + purples
Iker's bruised knee purpled overnight and looked swollen the next morning.
Iker 瘀傷的膝蓋一夜之間變成紫色，隔天早上還腫了起來。
The cold wind purpled the children's cheeks as they walked to school.
寒風把孩子們的臉頰凍得發紫，他們正走路上學。
The autumn leaves slowly purpled before falling off the branches.
秋天的葉子在從樹枝上掉落前，慢慢地變成了紫色。
文法句型
[something] purples
[someone] purples [something]
用法筆記
This verb is less common than the adjective forms of 'purple'. It is often used in literary or descriptive writing, especially to describe the effects of cold or injury on skin, or seasonal changes in plants.